Lizzie Jones, a HuffPost UK blogger who recently wrote about her experience of being sexually assaulted, said the news did not surprise her.

"I think there should absolutely be a set of rules around sexual assault reporting for universities stick to. I think it's an extremely difficult topic and people don't always know how to help. Especially when sexual assault didn't go as far as rape, and there should be a much better guide to help facility members deal with it best to help the students affected."

"If men can't grope women in clubs, they're more likely to progress onto rape," she was once told by a male student council officer.

Temple blamed universities for not taking sexism seriously enough, adding: "Because of the success of a lot of feminists, it's become a lot acceptable to become openly sexist. But it hasn't disappeared, it hasn't gone away, it just manifests itself so it becomes a lot more covert and it exists under different guises and forms."

The NUS' women's officer Susuana Antubam said: "When 60% of students say they are not aware of any university codes of conduct that prohibit or tackle sexual comments, advances, intimidation or harassment it is clear that universities must face up to this issue."

Dr Wendy Piatt, director of the Russell Group, added: "Russell Group universities take the issue of any kind of harassment, abuse or violence against women extremely seriously indeed. Our institutions have robust policies and procedures in place to deal with these matters, because ensuring student safety and wellbeing is extremely important to us."

Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence - 0808 802 9999